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The quest for artificial light sources mimicking sunlight has been a long-standing endeavor, particularly for applications in anticounterfeiting, agriculture, and color hue detection. Conventional sunlight simulators are often cost-prohibitive and bulky. Therefore, the development of a series of single-phase phosphors Ca 9 LiMg 1-x Al 2x/3 (PO 4 ) 7 :0.1Eu 2+ (x = 0-0.75) with sunlight-like emission represents a welcome step towards compact and economical light source alternatives. The phosphors are obtained by an original heterovalent substitution method and emit a broad spectrum   spanning from violet to deep red. Notably, the phosphor with x = 0.5 exhibits an impressive full width at half-maximum of 330 nm. A synergistic interplay of experimental investigations and theory unveils the mechanism behind sunlight-like emission due to the local structural perturbations introduced by the heterovalent substitution of Al 3+ for Mg 2+ , leading to a varied distribution of Eu 2+ within the lattice. Subsequent characterization of a series of organic dyes combining absorption spectroscopy with convolutional neural network analysis convincingly demonstrates the potential of this phosphor in portable photodetection devices. Broad-spectrum light source testing empowers the model to precisely differentiate dye patterns. This points to the phosphor being ideal for mimicking sunlight. Beyond this demonstrated application, the phosphor's utility is envisioned in other relevant domains, including visible light communication and smart agriculture., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A battery is composed of two electrodes that depend on and interact with each other. However, galvanostatic charging-discharging measurement, the most widely used method for battery evaluation, cannot simultaneously reflect performance metrics [capacity, Coulombic efficiency (CE), and cycling stability] of both electrodes because the result is generally governed by the lower-capacity electrode of the cell, namely the limiting reagent of the battery reaction. In studying stoichiometric Li-S cells operating under application-relevant high-mass-loading and lean-electrolyte conditions, we take advantage of the two-stage discharging behavior of sulfur to construct a simple framework that allows us to analyze both electrodes simultaneously. The cell capacity and its decay are anode performance descriptors, whereas the first plateau capacity and cell CE are cathode performance descriptors. Our analysis within this frame identifies Li stripping/plating and polysulfide shuttling to be the limiting factors for the cycling performance of the stoichiometric Li-S cell. Using our newly developed framework, we examine various previously reported strategies to mitigate these bottleneck problems and find modifying the separator with a reduced graphene oxide layer to be an effective means, which improves the capacity retention rate of the cell to 99.7% per cycle.

The manipulation of excitation modes and resultant emission colors in luminescent materials holds pivotal importance for encrypting information in anti-counterfeiting applications. Despite considerable achievements in multimodal and multicolor luminescent materials, existing options generally suffer from static monocolor emission under fixed external stimulation, rendering them vulnerability to replication. Achieving dynamic multimodal luminescence within a single material presents a promising yet challenging solution. Here, we report the development of a phosphor exhibiting dynamic multicolor photoluminescence (PL) and photo-thermo-mechanically responsive multimodal emissions through the incorporation of trace Mn 2+ ions into a self-activated CaGa 4 O 7 host. The resulting phosphor offers adjustable emission-color changing rates, controllable via re-excitation intervals and photoexcitation powers. Additionally, it demonstrates temperature-induced color reversal and anti-thermal-quenched emission, alongside reproducible elastic mechanoluminescence (ML) characterized by high mechanical durability. Theoretical calculations elucidate electron transfer pathways dominated by intrinsic interstitial defects and vacancies for dynamic multicolor emission. Mn 2+ dopants serve a dual role in stabilizing nearby defects and introducing additional defect levels, enabling flexible multi-responsive luminescence. This developed phosphor facilitates evolutionary color/pattern displays in both temporal and spatial dimensions using readily available tools, offering significant promise for dynamic anticounterfeiting displays and multimode sensing applications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Near-infrared (NIR) phosphors with high thermal stability are significant for NIR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). For a decade, Debye temperature has been a successful indicator of structural rigidity and thermal stability for phosphors, but some exceptions exist due to its dependence on atomic mass. Inspired by the Debye temperature model that relates the elastic properties of solids, our density functional theory calculations revealed that the Vickers hardness of Cr 3+ -doped NIR phosphors was negatively correlated with Stokes shifts (Pearson's R = -0.81) and positively correlated with thermal stabilities (Pearson's R = 0.85) within a set of 13 distinct material types. Highlighting the predictive power of Vickers hardness, two new NIR phosphors were investigated: KMg(PO 3 ) 3 :Cr 3+ showed low thermal stability, correlating with its lower Vickers hardness, in contrast to the high thermal stability and correspondingly higher Vickers hardness of La 2 MgSnO 6 :Cr 3+ . Vickers hardness can be used to screen potential hosts for Cr 3+ -doped NIR phosphors with high thermal stabilities, due to the advantages of the predictable feature by density functional theory calculation and low independence on atomic mass.

Increasing sulfur mass loading and minimizing electrolyte amount remains a major challenge for the development of high-energy-density Li-S batteries, which needs to be tackled with combined efforts of materials development and mechanistic analysis. This work, following the same team's most recent identification of the potential-limiting step of Li-S batteries under lean electrolyte conditions, seeks to advance the understanding by extending it to a new catalyst and into the high-sulfur-mass-loading region. CeO x nanostructures are integrated into cotton-derived carbon to develop a multifunctional 3D network that can host a large amount of active material, facilitate electron transport, and catalyze the sulfur lithiation reaction. The resulting S/CeO x /C electrode can deliver a stable areal capacity of 9 mAh cm -2 with a high sulfur loading of 14 mg cm -2 at a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5 µL mg -1 . This study discovers that Li||S/CeO x /C cells usually fail during charging at high current density, as a consequence of local short circuiting caused by electrochemically deposited Li dendrites penetrating through the separator, a previously overlooked failure pattern distinctive to cells operating under lean electrolyte conditions. This work highlights the importance of developing new material structures and analyzing failure mechanisms in the advancement of Li-S batteries., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This study was designed to see the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and downstream molecules including myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and interleukin 1-β (IL-1β) in the spinal cord as peripheral nerve injury recovered in mice. We established a model of femoral nerve injury (FNI) in C57BL/6 mice by transection of the motor branch of the femoral nerve, followed by retrograde labeling to show the according motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord pars lumbar. We observed the motor function recovery of the injured hind limbs using behavioral tests. The expression of TLR4, MyD88, and IL-1β was examined by immunofluorescent staining and western blot. According to the behavior test, the FNI animals fully recovered within 6-8 weeks. TLR4, MyD88, and IL-1β were expressed in the ventral horn of the spinal cord both at 72 h till 6 weeks after the femoral nerve transection surgery, and these proteins were mostly co-localized with neurons. IL-1β also tended to rise in the same surgery groups, but more intimate with microglia surrounding nearby retrograde labeled neurons. And western blot results were consistent with histological findings. The results indicate that peripheral nerve injury may induce innate immune reactions of the central neurons and critical signaling like TLR4/MyD88 in the spinal cord may reflect the recovery of the injury. These findings suggest that peripheral nerve injury triggered the TLR4/MyD88 signal in the soma of spinal neurons may be involved in function and nerve restoration through neuron-glia crosstalk., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The rapid evolution of pest resistance threatens the sustainable utilization of bioinsecticides such as abamectin, and so deciphering the molecular mechanisms affecting toxicity and resistance is essential for their long-term application. Historical studies of abamectin resistance in arthropods have mainly focused on mechanisms involving the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) targets, with the role of metabolic processes less clear. The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a generalist herbivore notorious for rapidly developing resistance to pesticides worldwide, and abamectin has been widely used for its control in the field. After reanalyzing previous transcriptome and RNA-seq data, we here identified an ABC transporter subfamily C gene in T. urticae named multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (TuMRP1), whose expression differed between susceptible and resistant populations. Synergism bioassays with the inhibitor MK-571, the existence of a genetic association between TuMRP1 expression and susceptibility to abamectin, and the effect of RNA interference mediated silencing of TuMRP1 were all consistent with a direct role of this transporter protein in the toxicity of abamectin. Although ABC transporters are often involved in removing insecticidal compounds from cells, our data suggest either an alternative role for these proteins in the mechanism of action of abamectin or highlight an indirect association between their expression and abamectin toxicity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Orange Eu 2+ -doped phosphors are essential for light-emitting diodes for cornering lights to prevent fatal road accidents at night, but such phosphors require features of high thermal, chemical stability and facile synthesis. This study reports a series of yellow-orange-red emitting SrAl 2 Si 3 ON 6 :Eu 2+ oxynitride phosphors, derived from the SrAlSi 4 N 7 nitride iso-structure by replacing Si 4+ -N 3- with Al 3+ -O 2- . The introduction of a certain amount of oxygen enabled the facile synthesis under atmospheric pressure using the air-stable raw materials SrCO 3 , Eu 2 O 3 , AlN and Si 3 N 4 . SrAl 2 Si 3 ON 6 has a smaller band gap and lower structure rigidity than SrAlSi 4 N 7 (5.19 eV vs 5.50 eV, Debye temperature 719 K vs 760 K), but exhibits higher thermal stability with 100 % of room temperature intensity remaining at 150 °C compared to 85 % for SrAlSi 4 N 7 . Electron paramagnetic resonance, thermoluminescence and density functional theory revealed that the oxygen vacancy electron traps compensated the thermal loss. Additionally, no decrease in emission intensity was found after either being heated at 500 °C for 2 hours or being immersed in water for 20 days, implying both of the thermal and chemical stability of SrAl 2 Si 3 ON 6 :Eu 2+ phosphors. The strategy of oxynitride-introduction from nitride promotes the development of low-cost thermally and chemically stable luminescent materials., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

To develop novel luminescent materials for optical temperature measurement, a series of Yb 3+ - and Er 3+ -doped Ca 3 Sc 2 Si 3 O 12 (CSS) upconversion (UC) phosphors were synthesized by the sol-gel combustion method. The crystal structure, phase purity, and element distribution of the samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The detailed study of the photoluminescence emission spectra of the samples shows that the addition of Yb 3+ can greatly enhance the emission of Er 3+ by effective energy transfer. The prepared Yb 3+ and Er 3+ co-doped CSS phosphors exhibit green emission bands near 522 and 555 nm and red emission bands near 658 nm, which correspond to the 2 H 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 , 4 S 3/2 → 4 I 15/2 , and 4 F 9/2 → 4 I 15/2 transitions of Er 3+ , respectively. The temperature-dependent behavior of the CSS:0.2Yb 3+ ,0.02Er 3+ sample was carefully studied by the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique. The results indicate the excellent sensitivity of the sample, with a maximum absolute sensitivity of 0.67% K -1 at 500 K and a relative sensitivity of 1.34% K -1 at 300 K. We demonstrate here that the temperature measurement performance of FIR technology using the CSS:Yb 3+ ,Er 3+ phosphor is not inferior to that of infrared thermal imaging thermometers. Therefore, CSS:Yb 3+ ,Er 3+ phosphors have great potential applications in the field of optical thermometry.

Constructing active heterointerfaces is powerful to enhance the electrochemical performances of transition metal dichalcogenides, but the interface density regulation remains a huge challenge. Herein, MoO 2 /MoS 2 heterogeneous nanorods are encapsulated in nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon matrix (MoO 2 /MoS 2 @NSC) by controllable sulfidation. MoO 2 and MoS 2 are coupled intimately at atomic level, forming the MoO 2 /MoS 2 heterointerfaces with different distribution density. Strong electronic interactions are triggered at these MoO 2 /MoS 2 heterointerfaces for enhancing electron transfer. In alkaline media, the optimal material exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances that significantly surpass carbon-covered MoS 2 nanorods counterpart (η 10 : 156 mV vs 232 mV) and most of the MoS 2 -based heterostructures reported recently. First-principles calculation deciphers that MoO 2 /MoS 2 heterointerfaces greatly promote water dissociation and hydrogen atom adsorption via the O-Mo-S electronic bridges during HER process. Moreover, benefited from the high pseudocapacitance contribution, abundant "ion reservoir"-like channels, and low Na + diffusion barrier appended by high-density MoO 2 /MoS 2 heterointerfaces, the material delivers high specific capacity of 888 mAh g -1 , remarkable rate capability and cycling stability of 390 cycles at 0.1 A g -1 as the anode of sodium ion battery. This work will undoubtedly light the way of interface density engineering for high-performance electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A Sm 3+ -doped YGa 1.5 Al 1.5 (BO 3 ) 4 (abbreviated as YGAB) phosphor was synthesized via a solid-state reaction with mechanical activation assistance in a high-energy density stirred bead mill. The samples were characterized by laser particle size analysis, specific surface area analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, the photoluminescence characteristics, luminescence decay, thermal stability, and LED application of the phosphors were also investigated. The results show that the mechanical activation of mixed raw materials before calcination can reduce the particle size and the activation energy of crystallization, resulting in the formation of the YGAB crystal phase at a lower calcination temperature. The mechanical activation in grinding can accelerate the subsequent solid-phase reaction, make Sm 3+ ions more easily diffuse into the YGAB lattice, and improve the crystal structure of the synthesized phosphor, thus enhancing the optical properties of the phosphor. According to the photoluminescence emission (PL) and excitation (PLE) spectra, Sm 3+ doped in the YGAB lattice can provide an efficient emission under 405 nm excitation. The optimum doping concentration of Sm 3+ ions is 0.03 mol%. The optimum photoluminescence intensity, quantum yield, and fluorescence lifetime of the phosphor synthesized from mixed raw materials ground for 45 min can be obtained. The temperature-dependent PL spectra show that the emission intensity of the YGAB:0.03Sm 3+ phosphor at 425 K is 84.7% of its initial intensity at room temperature. It is indicated that the YGAB:0.03Sm 3+ phosphor synthesized could be used as one of the promising LED lighting materials.

Concentration quenching, which generally originates from serious energy migrations among the uniformly distributed luminescent centers in the host matrix, is a key factor to influence the luminescence properties of materials. Different from previous reports, we demonstrate a novel fluorescence-quenching mechanism attributable to the second-phase Eu 2 W 2 O 9 in non-equivalent substituted SrWO 4 : x Eu 3+ phosphors. The crystal structure, elemental distribution, and luminescence properties of the as-prepared SrWO 4 : x Eu 3+ phosphors are systematically investigated. A second-phase Eu 2 W 2 O 9 is confirmed when the Eu 3+ -doping concentration exceeds 20%, which produces the new structure defects and energy-transfer paths, resulting in fluorescence quenching in this material. This finding gives a new perspective to analyze the concentration-quenching mechanism of the non-equivalent substituted phosphors and can help in the design of new, efficient luminescence materials. In addition, the as-prepared SrWO 4 : x Eu 3+ phosphors exhibit a strong intrinsic excitation in the range of 355-425 nm, which is accompanied by the Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates at (0.653, 0.347) and stable color purity of up to 94.52%. A packaged white light-emitting diode with CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.398, 0.335), correlated color temperature of 3132 K, and color rendering index of 84.3 is fabricated by SrWO 4 :20%Eu 3+ phosphors with blue BAM:Eu 2+ and green YAGB:Tb 3+ phosphors in a near-ultraviolet chip., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The minimization of thermal quenching, which leads to luminescence loss at high temperatures, is one of the most important issues for near-infrared phosphors. In the present work, we investigated the properties of near-infrared Ca(Sc,Mg)(Al, Si)O 6  : Cr 3+ phosphors with a pyroxene-type structure under blue light excitation. The CaScAlSiO 6  : Cr 3+ end member of Ca(Sc,Mg)(Al,Si)O 6  : Cr 3+ phosphor led to broadband emission at a full-width half maximum of 215 nm, whereas the CaMgSi 2 O 6  : Cr 3+ end member exhibited high thermal stability at 150 °C, with an intensity of 88.4 % of that at room temperature. The structural analysis and density functional theory calculations revealed the absence of soft conformations and local space confinement contributed to the high structural rigidity and weakened the thermal quenching effect., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a central and acute demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with unusual clinical course. The development of novel biomarkers for NMOSD is critical for implementing effective clinical treatment. CD226 is known to be expressed on many types of peripheral lymphoid cells. However, the expression level and function of CD226 on type 1 T regulatory (Tr1) cells during NMOSD is unknown., Methods: Eighteen patients with NMOSD and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the test group to probe the difference of CD226 expression on Tr1 cells using flow cytometric analysis., Results: The expression of CD226 on Tr1 cells exhibited significantly increased tendency in NMOSD patients. Additionally, methylprednisolone and rituximab treatment decreased the expression of CD226 on Tr1 cells. Furthermore, the expression of CD226 on Tr1 cells was correlated with disease severity., Conclusion: This study provides a new basic insight into CD226 expression pattern on Tr1 cells, which have great potential to be biomarkers for monitoring the development and treatment of NMOSD., (© 2022 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

We report an organic solvent-assisted (OSA) co-precipitation strategy for the production of Mn 4+ -activated K 2 TiF 6 phosphor. The phosphor particle size was controlled through the selection of organic solvents with an alcohol functional group and different carbon chain lengths used in the synthesis. The synergistic effect of the organic solvent and hydrofluoric acid results in large smoothed hexagonal-shaped crystal sheets of particles that become larger as the carbon chain length of the organic solvent increases. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of K 2 TiF 6 :Mn powders strongly depend on the size and thickness of the particles. The addition of n -butanol during the synthesis increases the emission intensity of K 2 TiF 6 :Mn by 208%. The PL quantum efficiency of phosphors prepared using the n -butanol-assisted strategy is much higher (98.2%) than that of conventionally prepared phosphors (89.9%). Our findings demonstrate a way to prepare the K 2 TiF 6 :Mn phosphor with targeted morphology and very high quantum efficiency and also provide the route for the optimization of all Mn 4+ -activated fluoride phosphors used in white light-emitting diodes.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and their functions in the uteruses of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) rats using label-free quantitative proteomics analysis., Methods: The PD rat model was induced by injecting both estradiol benzoate and oxytocin. Twenty rats were equally divided into two groups: a control group (normal rats), a PD model group (PD rats). Writhing scores and serum levels of Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) were used to evaluate the success of the rat PD model. The DEPs were identified and analyzed by label-free quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses., Results: A total of 276 DEPs were identified, including 119 up-regulated DEPs and 157 down-regulated DEPs. Bioinformatics revealed that the DEPs were mainly associated with 'protein binding', 'metabolism', 'signal conduction' and 'focal adhesion'. The proteomic findings were verified by western blot analysis, which confirmed that myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK), heat shock protein 90 AB1 (HSP90AB1), apolipoprotein A1 (Apoa1), p38 MAP kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) were significantly differentially expressed in the control and PD samples., Conclusions: These results provide a deeper understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of PD. The DEPs found in the present study may provide new ideas for further study of the mechanism of PD and aid the search for biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A solvent-vapor transport route produces centimeter-sized single-crystal red phosphors. The epitaxial growth route to yield its core-shell structure at ambient temperature was adopted. These red phosphors could be applied in all-inorganic WLED devices. Cs 2 TiF 6 :Mn 4+ (CTFM) single crystal provides enhancement of quantum efficiency, moisture resistance, and thermal stability compared to polycrystalline powders. The internal quantum efficiency can reach as high as 98.7 %. To further improve waterproof stability, the Cs 2 TiF 6 (CTF) shell with tunable thickness has been epitaxially grown on the CTFM single crystal surface and a unique three-step photoluminescence intensity evolution mechanism has been proposed. By combining as-prepared CTFM@CTF core-shell structured single crystal, YAG:Ce single crystal and blue-chip, warm WLEDs with excellent color rendition (R a =90, R 9 =94), low correlated color temperature (CCT=3155 K), and high luminous efficacy were fabricated without any organic resins., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The practical applications of non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries are impeded by large overpotentials and unsatisfactory cycling durability. Reported here is that commonly encountered fatal problems can be efficiently solved by using a carbon- and binder-free electrode of titanium coated with TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Ultraviolet irradiation of the TNAs generates positively charged holes, which efficiently decompose Li 2 O 2 and Li 2 CO 3 during recharging, thereby reducing the overpotential to one that is near the equilibrium potential for Li 2 O 2 formation. The AuNPs promote Li 2 O 2 formation, resulting in a large discharge capacity. The electrode exhibits excellent stability with about 100 % coulombic efficiency during continuous cycling of up to 200 cycles, which is due to the carbon- and binder-free composition. This work reveals a new strategy towards the development of highly efficient oxygen electrode materials for lithium-oxygen batteries., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Structures comprising high capacity active material are highly desirable in the development of advanced electrodes for energy storage devices. However, the structure degradation of such material still remains a challenge. The construction of amorphous and crystalline heterostructure appears to be a novel and effectual strategy to figure out the problem, owing to the distinct properties of the amorphous protective layer. Herein, crystalline-Co 3 O 4 @amorphous-TiO 2 core-shell nanoarrays directly grown on the carbon cloth substrate are rationally designed to construct the free-standing electrode. In the unique structure, the 3D porous nanoarrays provide increased availability of electrochemical active sites, and the array with a unique heterostructure of crystalline Co 3 O 4 core and amorphous TiO 2 shell exhibits intriguing synergistic properties. Besides, the amorphous TiO 2 protective layer shows elastic behavior to mitigate the volume effect of Co 3 O 4 . Benefiting from these structural advantages, the as-prepared free-standing electrode exhibits superior lithium storage properties, including high coulombic efficiency, outstanding cyclic stability, and rate capability. Pouch cells with high flexibility are also fabricated and show remarkable electrochemical performances, holding great potential for flexible electronic devices in the future., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The rational design of electrode structure with catalysts adequately utilized is of vital importance for future fuel cells. Herein, a novel 3D oriented wholly integrated electrode comprising core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @N-doped-C (Fe 3 O 4 @NC) nanoparticles embedded into N-doped ordered interconnected hierarchical porous carbon (denoted as Fe 3 O 4 @NC/NHPC) is developed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The as-prepared catalyst possesses novel structure and efficient active sites. In rotating disk electrode measurements, the Fe 3 O 4 @NC/NHPC exhibits almost identical ORR electrocatalytic activity, superior durability, and much better methanol tolerance compared with the commercial Pt/C in acidic media. To the authors' knowledge, this is among the best non-precious-metal ORR catalysts reported so far. Importantly, the Fe 3 O 4 @NC/NHPC is successfully in situ assembled onto carbon paper by the electrophoresis method to obtain a well-designed 3D-ordered electrode. With improved mass transfer and maximized active sites for ORR, the 3D-oriented wholly integrated electrode shows superior performance to the one fabricated by the traditional method., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A binder-free electrode consisting of Pd clusters and vanadium oxide (VO) has been prepared via gas-phase-cluster beam deposition on carbon cloth. The Pd clusters largely improve the stability of the VO-Pd-based electrode, which can be reversibly and continuously cycled for more than 120 cycles in a Li-O2 based battery.

Searching for a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution is still challenging. In this work, we report a HER electrocatalyst composed of Ni foam, Ni 3 S 2 , and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NF@Ni 3 S 2 @NCNTs). The good lattice matching between Ni and Ni 3 S 2 , interstitial doping of C and N atoms, and synergistic effect of NCNTs make NF@Ni 3 S 2 @NCNTs highly efficient HER electrocatalysts in alkaline solution. NF@Ni 3 S 2 @NCNTs exhibit an overpotential of 93.89 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 , a Tafel slope of 54 mV dec -1 , and superior stability for HER in 1 M KOH solution. Our findings will promote the reasonable design and synthesis of an efficient electrocatalyst for HER in alkaline electrolytes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.)

Anatase TiO 2 hollow nanoboxes were synthesized and combined with the graphene oxide to get nanocomposite of TiO 2 /rGO (TG). Graphene oxide was used to modify the Oxygen-Clusters and bulk to surface defects. Anatase and TG composite were characterized with the positron annihilation, XPS, EPR, EIS and photocurrent response analysis. The relative affects of defects on the photocatalytic reduction (CO 2 to CH 4 ) were studied. The TG composites showed highest photo-catalytic activity after GO coupling (49 µmol g -1 h -1 ), 28.6 times higher photocurrent yields much higher quantum efficiency (3.17%@400 nm) when compared to the TiO 2 nanoboxes. The mechanism of enhanced photo-catalytic CO 2 conversion to CH 4 elucidated through electrochemical and photo-catalytic experiments with traceable isotope containing carbon dioxide ( 13 CO 2 ). For the first time we discovered that diminishing the comparative concentration ratio of anatase from the bulk to surface defects could significantly increase the conversion of CO 2 to CH 4 .

In this work, a novel fluoroaluminate red phosphor of Cs 2 NaAl 3 F 12 :Mn 4+ with excellent color purity was fabricated via the introduction of Mn 4+ in the octahedral center. The crystal and electronic structures, luminescence properties and optical performances were characterized and investigated in detail. The evidences showed that Cs 2 NaAl 3 F 12 :Mn 4+ well-crystallized into a single phase with particulate morphology, and the non-equivalent occupation in Cs 2 NaAl 3 F 12 resulted in sharp red emissions with improved color purity upon blue light illumination. For solid-state lighting, the optical parameters consisted of the "blue-yellow-red" contributions significantly improved to a high color-rendering index of 88.7 and a low color temperature of 3856 K, indicating the potential use of Cs 2 NaAl 3 F 12 :Mn 4+ for warm white light-emitting diode applications.

The conjugated co-monomer, trimesic acid (TMA) was integrated into the triazine framework of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN), synthesized through chemical condensation of urea. The TMA-modified carbon nitride samples obtained were named as CNU-TMA and it was utilized for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) under visible light illumination. The induction of such electron donor-acceptor co-monomer (TMA) dominates the intramolecular structure of PCN by acting as a nucleophilic substitution substrate to facilitate the electron density in the π-electron conjugated system of PCN and thus elevate its photocatalytic activity. Also, this process of copolymerization with TMA, not only cause a significant diversion in the specific area, band gap, chemical composition, and structure of PCN but also promote efficient charge transport from ground state (HOMO) to the excited state (LUMO) of the PCN. For comparison, CNU samples modified with other co-monomers were prepared by the same method and were named as CNU-FDA (2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid), CNU-PDA (2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), CNU-PTA (Phthalic acid). Similarly, co-monomer TMA was incorporated in other PCN precursors such as dyandicyanamide (DCDA), thiourea (SCN) and ammonium thiocyanate (NH 2 SCN) and was named as CND-TMA 13.0 , CNT-TMA 13.0 , and CNA-TMA 13.0 , respectively. Besides, the average weight ratio between urea and TMA was well tuned and also CNU-TMA 13.0 gain a fabulous 16 fold-enhanced photocatalytic performance than blank CNU., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

One of prospective ways for boosting efficiency of luminescent materials is their combination with noble metal nanoparticles. Collective, so-called plasmon, oscillations of surface electrons in a nanoparticle can resonantly interact with incident or fluorescent light and cause an increase in the light absorption cross section or radiative rate for an adjacent emitter. Plasmonic inorganic phosphors require gentle host crystallization at which added noble nanoparticles will not suffer from aggregation or oxidation. The prospective plasmonic Mg 2 TiO 4 :Mn 4+ phosphor containing core@shell Ag@SiO 2 nanoparticles is prepared here by spare low-temperature annealing of a sol-gel host precursor. It is revealed that Mn 4+ luminescence nonmonotonously depends on the size and concentration of 40 and 70 nm silver nanoparticles. It is demonstrated that luminescence of the Mg 2 TiO 4 :Mn 4+ phosphor can be up to a 1.5 times increase when Mn 4+ excitation is supported by localized surface plasmon resonance in Ag@SiO 2 nanoparticles.

The exploration of a stable and high-rate anode is of pivotal importance for achieving advanced aqueous rechargeable batteries. Owing to the beneficial properties of high conductivity, suitable negative working voltage, and three-electron redox, bismuth (Bi) is considered as a promising anode material, but it suffers from poor stability. Here, we successfully endow Bi nanoflakes (NFs) with prominent cycling performance by a one-step surface oxidation approach to remarkably boost its reversibility. As a result, the partially oxidized Bi NFs (BiO x ) show an admirable capacity (0.38 mA h cm -2 at 2 mA cm -2 ), good rate capability and superior long-term stability (almost no capacity decay after 20 000 cycles). Furthermore, a durable aqueous Ni//Bi battery is constructed based on the optimized BiO x anode, which exhibits excellent durability with 96% capacity retention after 5000 cycles. This study could open a new avenue for the rational design of efficient anodes for eco-friendly and reliable aqueous rechargeable batteries.

In the present work, we described the synthesis of a novel phosphor Ca 3 Lu(AlO) 3 (BO 3 ) 4 (CLAB) activated with Sm 3+ via high temperature solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectra, diffuse reflection spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and fluorescence decay curves were used to characterize the as-synthesized samples. The morphology and chemical composition were measured by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray energy diffraction spectroscopy (EDAX). The structure refinements from XRD data revealed the isostructural arrangement of CLAB : Sm 3+ to gaudefroyite with a hexagonal P 6 3 / m space group in which the AlO 6 octahedral chains are interconnected by BO 3 triangles in the ab plane to form a Kagome-type lattice (star-shaped), leaving trigonal and apatite-like-tunnels. Under 404 nm excitation, the as-synthesized phosphor shows an intensely red emission peaked at 614 nm with CIE coordinates of (0.615, 0.380) and high colour purity up to 98.53%. The quantum yield of the phosphor was found to be 15.5% with a desired doping concentration of 5 mol% Sm 3+ ions. The red emission intensity of CLAB : 0.05Sm 3+ at 425 K is 86.6% of that at 300 K. All these good properties make the phosphor of CLAB : Sm 3+ exhibit a great potential for application in UV-based warm white LEDs used in displays., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Energy migration (energy transfer among identical luminescence centers) is always thought to be related to the concentration quenching in luminescence materials. However, the novel Eu 3+ -doped Ba 6 Gd 2 Ti 4 O 17 phosphor seems to be an exception. In the series of Ba 6 Gd 2(1- x) Ti 4 O 17 : xEu 3+ ( x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9) phosphors prepared and investigated, no concentration quenching is found. Detailed investigations of the crystal structure and the luminescence properties of Ba 6 Gd 2(1- x) Ti 4 O 17 : xEu 3+ reveal that the nonoccurrence of concentration quenching is related to the dimensional restriction of energy migration inside the crystal lattices. In Ba 6 Gd 2 Ti 4 O 17 , directly increasing the number of Eu 3+ ions to absorb as much excitation energy as possible allows to achieve a higher brightness. The highly Eu 3+ -doped Ba 6 Gd 2(1- x) Ti 4 O 17 : xEu 3+ ( x = 0.9) sample can convert near-UV excitation into red light, whose Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates are (0.64, 0.36) and the color purity can reach up to 94.4%. Moreover, warm white light with the CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.39, 0.39), the correlated color temperature of 3756 K, and the color rendering index of 82.2 is successfully generated by fabricating this highly Eu 3+ -doped phosphor in a near-UV light-emitting diode chip together with the green YGAB:Tb 3+ and blue BAM:Eu 2+ phosphors.

TiO₂ is one of the most attractive semiconductors for use as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. However, the large-scale application of TiO₂ photoanodes is restricted due to a short hole diffusion length and low electron mobility, which can be addressed by metal doping and surface decorating. In this paper we report the successful synthesis of hierarchical Ta doped TiO₂ nanorod arrays, with nanoparticles on the top (Ta:TiO₂), on F-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass by a hydrothermal method, and its application as photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. It has been found that the incorporation of Ta 5+ in the TiO₂ lattice can decrease the diameter of surface TiO₂ nanoparticles. Ta:TiO₂-140, obtained with a moderate Ta concentration, yields a photocurrent of ∼1.36 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under FTO side illumination. The large photocurrent is attributed to the large interface area of the surface TiO₂ nanoparticles and the good electron conductivity due to Ta doping. Besides, the electron trap-free model illustrates that Ta:TiO₂ affords higher transport speed and lower electron resistance when under FTO side illumination.

A series of red-emitting phosphors composed of Li2ZrF6:Mn4+ (LZF:Mn) have been synthesized via an ionic-exchange reaction route at room temperature. The microstructure and optical characterizations have been investigated according to the detailed experiments. The morphology of the phosphor LZF:Mn changes with the concentration of HF, the reaction time and temperature. The uniform crystals of LZF:Mn with regular hexagonal tablets have been obtained in 30-40 wt% HF solutions by conducting the reaction at room temperature for about 8 h. The influences of reaction parameters on the morphology and photoluminescence properties of LZF:Mn have been systematically investigated. The luminescence intensity of LZF:Mn has been optimized by controlling the synthesis procedure and parameters. The white light-emitting diode (WLED) fabricated with LZF:Mn and Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce) on InGaN LED chip displays a warm white light with correlated color temperature (CCT) at 3789.4 K and color rendering index (CRI) of 91.

Searching for an economical and efficient water splitting electrocatalyst is still a huge challenge for hydrogen production. This work reports one-step synthesis of hierarchical porous prism arrays (HPPAs) composed of Ni-NiO nanoparticles embedding uniformly in graphite carbon (Ni-NiO/C HPPAs), which is derived from metal-organic framework (CPO-27-Ni) prism arrays grown on nickel foam (NF). Remarkable features of the prism arrays, synergistic effect of Ni-NiO/C, porous graphite carbon, high conductive NF, and good contact between catalyst and current collector result in excellent electrocatalytic performance of Ni-NiO/C HPPAs@NF. Ni-NiO/C HPPAs@NF shows a small overpotential of ∼49.48 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm -2 , low Tafel slope of 74 mV dec -1 and robust stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Especially, the overpotential for HER of Ni-NiO/C HPPAs@NF is only ∼132 mV at the current density of 185 mA cm -2 , almost the same as the value from the Pt/C. Furthermore, for oxygen evolution reaction in basic media, Ni-NiO/C HPPAs@NF shows better catalytic activity, lower Tafel slope and higher durability than precious IrO 2 . The above finding offers an effective strategy to design the bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.

Owing to its excellent chemical stability and low cost, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has been widely studied as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, TiO 2 's practical applications in solar energy-to-synthetic fuel conversion processes have been constrained by its inherently poor ability to transport photogenerated electrons and holes. In this paper, we report Ta-doped porous TiO 2 nanorod arrays on Ta foil (Ta-PTNA) that do not possess this issue and that can thus efficiently photoelectrocatalyze water oxidation, helping the production of H 2 (a clean fuel) from water at the expense of solar light. The materials are synthesized by a new, facile synthetic approach involving the hydrothermal treatment of a TiO 2 precursor with Ta foil, without seeds and templates, and followed by calcination of the product. Besides serving as a source of Ta dopant atoms, Ta foil is found to play a vital role in the formation of nanopores in the materials. The material obtained with hydrothermal treatment at 180 °C for 10 h (Ta-PTNA-10), in particular, affords very large photocurrent density and very high photoconversion efficiency (0.32% at 0.79 V vs. RHE, which is better than those of many previously reported photocatalysts and ∼4 times larger than that of undoped TiO 2 nanorod arrays). Ta-PTNAs' remarkable PEC catalytic performance is found to be due to their nanoporous structure and high electronic conductivity.

Red phosphors composed of Mn 4+ -activated complex fluorides have attracted considerable attention for applications in warm white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). In the present study, we report a facile strategy to synthesize a novel red phosphor LiSrGaF 6 :Mn 4+ (LSGF:Mn) at room temperature, and we also discuss its formation mechanism. Mn 4+ ions occupy Ga 3+ sites located at the centers of distorted [GaF 6 ] 3- octahedrons and emit intense red luminescence when excited by UV or blue light. The effects of synthesis conditions such as the type of strontium salts, the concentrations of K 2 MnF 6 and NH 3 ·H 2 O, and the reaction temperature have been investigated. The luminescence intensity of the phosphor LSGF:Mn has been improved by optimizing the synthetic parameters. The as-prepared phosphor LSGF:Mn exhibits broad and intense absorption in the blue region and bright luminescence in the red region, which indicate that it is promising for applications in warm WLEDs.

Eu 3+ ion can be effectively sensitized by Ce 3+ ion through an energy-transfer chain of Ce 3+ -(Tb 3+ ) n -Eu 3+ , which has contributed to the development of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) as it can favor more efficient red phosphors. However, simply serving for WLEDs as one of the multicomponents, the design of the Ce 3+ -(Tb 3+ ) n -Eu 3+ energy transfer is undoubtedly underused. Theoretically, white light can be achieved with extra blue and green emissions released from Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ . Herein, the design of the white light based on these three multicolor luminescence centers has been realized in GdBO 3 . It is the first time that white light is generated via accurate controls on the Ce 3+ -(Tb 3+ ) n -Eu 3+ energy transfer in such a widely studied host material. Because the thermal quenching rates of blue, green, and red emissions from Ce 3+ , Tb 3+ , and Eu 3+ , respectively, are well-matched in the host, this novel white light exhibits superior color stability and potential application prospect.

To achieve high-energy and stable aqueous rechargeable batteries, state-of-the art of anode materials are needed. Bismuth (Bi) has recently emerged as an attractive anode material due to its highly reversible redox reaction and suitable negative operating working window. However, the capacity and durability of currently reported Bi anodes are still far from satisfactory. Here, an in situ activation strategy is reported to prepare a 3D porous high-density Bi nanoparticles/carbon architecture (P-Bi-C) as an efficient anode for nickel-bismuth batteries. Taking advantages of the fast channels for charge transfer and ion diffusion, enhanced wettability, and accessible surface area, the highly loaded P-Bi-C electrode delivers a remarkable capacity of 2.11 mA h cm -2 as well as high rate capability (1.19 mA h cm -2 at 120 mA cm -2 ). To highlight, a robust aqueous rechargeable Ni//Bi battery based on the P-Bi-C anode is first constructed, achieving decent capacity (141 mA h g -1 ), impressive durability (94% capacity retention after 5000 cycles), and admirable energy density (16.9 mW h cm -3 ). This work paves the way for designing superfast nickel-bismuth batteries with high energy and long-life and may inspire new development for aqueous rechargeable batteries., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A carbon- and binder-free Ti@Ru material is synthesized through a facile and controllable strategy. A Ti@Ru based Li-O 2 battery can effectively avoid the subsidiary reactions, and can be reversibly and continuously cycled for more than 500 cycles with an efficiency ca. 100%, exhibiting an ultra-cycling stability.

Currently, the main bottleneck for the widespread application of Ni-Zn batteries is their poor cycling stability as a result of the irreversibility of the Ni-based cathode and dendrite formation of the Zn anode during the charging-discharging processes. Herein, a highly rechargeable, flexible, fiber-shaped Ni-Zn battery with impressive electrochemical performance is rationally demonstrated by employing Ni-NiO heterostructured nanosheets as the cathode. Benefiting from the improved conductivity and enhanced electroactivity of the Ni-NiO heterojunction nanosheet cathode, the as-fabricated fiber-shaped Ni-NiO//Zn battery displays high capacity and admirable rate capability. More importantly, this Ni-NiO//Zn battery shows unprecedented cyclic durability both in aqueous (96.6% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles) and polymer (almost no capacity attenuation after 10 000 cycles at 22.2 A g -1 ) electrolytes. Moreover, a peak energy density of 6.6 µWh cm -2 , together with a remarkable power density of 20.2 mW cm -2 , is achieved by the flexible quasi-solid-state fiber-shaped Ni-NiO//Zn battery, outperforming most reported fiber-shaped energy-storage devices. Such a novel concept of a fiber-shaped Ni-Zn battery with impressive stability will greatly enrich the flexible energy-storage technologies for future portable/wearable electronic applications., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Samples of the Ca 3 Sc 2 Si 3 O 12 (CSS) host singly doped with Eu 2+ or Yb 3+ , doubly doped with Eu 2+ and Yb 3+ , and triply doped with Ce 3+ , Eu 2+ and Yb 3+ were synthesized by a sol-gel combustion process under reducing conditions. Unlike previous reports of Eu 2+ →Yb 3+ energy transfer in other systems, the energy transfer is resonant in the CSS host and the transfer efficiency reaches 100 % for lightly doped samples. The transfer mechanism is multipolar rather than electron transfer for the sample compositions employed herein. The emission intensity of Yb 3+ is further enhanced by co-doping with Ce 3+ in addition to Eu 2+ . The quantum efficiencies of the doped materials range between 9 % and 93 %., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A tri-layered photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is assembled using single crystal hollow TiO 2 nanoparticles (HTNPs), sub-micro hollow TiO 2 mesospheres (SHTMSs) and hierarchical TiO 2 microspheres (HTMSs). The bottom layer composed of single crystal hollow TiO 2 nanoparticles serves to absorb dye molecules, harvest light due to its hollow structure and keep a better mechanical contact with FTO conducting glass; the middle layer consisting of sub-micro hollow mesospheres works as a multifunctional layer due to its high dye adsorption ability, strong light trapping and scattering ability and slow recombination rates; and the top layer consisting of hierarchical microspheres enhances light scattering. The DSSCs made of photoanodes with a tripartite-layer structure (Film 4) show a superior photoconversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.24%, which is 7.4% higher than a single layered photoanode composed of HTNPs (Film 1: 8.90%), 4.6% higher than a double layer-based electrode consisting of HTNPs and SHTMSs (Film 2: 9.03%) and 2.6% higher than a double layer-based electrode made of HTNPs and HTMSs (Film 3: 9.11%). The significant improvements in the PCE for tri-layered TiO 2 photoanodes are mainly because of the combined effects of their higher light scattering ability, long electron lifetime, fast electron transport rate, efficient charge collection and a considerable surface area with high dye-loading capability. This study confirms that the facile tri-layered photoanode is an interesting structure for high-efficiency DSSCs.

The gradual deterioration following central nervous system (CNS) injuries or neurodegenerative disorders is usually accompanied by infiltration of degenerated and apoptotic neural tissue debris. A rapid and efficient clearance of these deteriorated cell products is of pivotal importance in creating a permissive environment for regeneration of those damaged neurons. Our recent report revealed that the phagocytic activity of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) can make a substantial contribution to neuronal growth in such a hostile environment. However, little is known about how to further increase the ability of OECs in phagocytosing deleterious products. Here, we used an in vitro model of primary cells to investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and curcumin (CCM) co-stimulation on phagocytic activity of OECs and the possible underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that co-stimulation using LPS and CCM can significantly enhance the activation of OECs, displaying a remarkable up-regulation in chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and Toll-like receptor 4, increased OEC proliferative activity, and improved phagocytic capacity compared with normal and LPS- or CCM-treated OECs. More importantly, this potentiated phagocytosis activity greatly facilitated neuronal growth under hostile culture conditions. Moreover, the up-regulation of transglutaminase-2 and phosphatidylserine receptor in OECs activated by LPS and CCM co-stimulation are likely responsible for mechanisms underlying the observed cellular events, because cystamine (a specific inhibitor of transglutaminase-2) and neutrophil elastase (a cleavage enzyme of phosphatidylserine receptor) can effectively abrogate all the positive effects of OECs, including phagocytic capacity and promotive effects on neuronal growth. This study provides an alternative strategy for the repair of traumatic nerve injury and neurologic diseases with the application of OECs in combination with LPS and CCM.

A series of Ca 3 Y(GaO) 3 (BO 3 ) 4 :Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ phosphors were prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction. Their phase structures were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and the element distribution was measured using transmission electron microscopy elemental mapping. The photoluminescence emission and excitation spectra and fluorescence lifetime were studied and discussed in detail. The results revealed that Eu 3+ ions can be efficiently sensitized by Tb 3+ ions under near-UV excitation. In addition, the energy transfer efficiency can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ to realize colour tunable emission from green to red. For Ca 3 Y(GaO) 3 (BO 3 ) 4 :0.50Tb 3+ ,0.10Eu 3+ , the emission intensity at 425 K is 78.11% of that at 300 K, being available to near-UV LEDs.

Transition metal oxides caused much attention owing to the scientific interests and potential applications in energy storage systems. In this study, a free-standing three-dimensional (3D) chestnut-like TiO 2 @α-Fe 2 O 3 core-shell nanostructure (TFN) is rationally synthesized and utilized as a carbon-free electrode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Two new interfaces between anatase TiO 2 and α-Fe 2 O 3 are observed and supposed to provide synergistic effect. The TiO 2 microsphere framework significantly improves the mechanical stability, while the α-Fe 2 O 3 provides large capacity. The abundant boundary structures offer the possibility for interfacial lithium storage and electron transport. The as-prepared TFN delivers a high capacity of 820 mAh g -1 even after 1000 continuous cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of ca. 99% at a current of 500 mA g -1 , which is better than the works reported previously. A thin gel-like SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) film and Fe 0 phase yielded during charge/discharge cycling have been confirmed which makes it possible to alleviate the volumetric change and enhance the electronic conductivity. This confirmation is helpful for understanding the mechanism of lithium-ion storage in α-Fe 2 O 3 -based materials. The as-prepared free-standing TFN with excellent stability and high capacity can be an appropriate candidate for carbon-free anode material in LIBs.

Nowadays, exploiting novel electrode materials is widely accepted as a key for meeting the growing demands of high-performance lithium ion batteries. Several transition-metal vanadates, which can in situ form an elastic buffer to adapt the volume expansion during lithium uptake/removal, have recently attracted much attention as anode materials, since they have high capacity and superior cycling stability. Herein, Zn2(OH)3VO3 nanostructures are successfully fabricated for the first time by a facile hydrothermal method and also first studied as lithium ion anode material. The ultrathin Zn2(OH)3VO3 nanosheets deliver a high reversible capacity close to 900 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) over 100 cycles. Even at a high current rate of 5 A g(-1), capacity retention as high as 83% (by compared with the second discharge capacity) is still obtained after 500 cycles, showing a high-rate capability. Moreover, we also carefully investigated the lithium-storage mechanism of Zn2(OH)3VO3, and corresponding results reveal that the Zn2(OH)3VO3 nanosheets have in situ transformed into ZnO nanoparticles anchoring on lithiated vanadium oxides matrix. The synergistic effect of zinc and vanadium oxides upon lithium ions intercalation and the stable conductive skeleton of amorphous lithiated vanadium oxides matrix both contribute to the excellent battery performance of Zn2(OH)3VO3 nanosheets. Finally, a full cell composed of lithiated Zn2(OH)3VO3/LiFePO4 with a high energy density of 293 Wh kg(-1) (vs total mass of active materials) at the current density of 100 mA g(-1) was successfully assembled, which could cycle well over 100 cycles with 79% capacity retention and also exhibit good rate stability. Thus, we believe that our research demonstrates a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.

We report a "ligand stripping" method for the creation of secondary structures of colloidal nanocrystals. Using iron oxide as an example, we demonstrate that the use of diols as "stripping agents" allows the controllable removal of the original capping ligands and induces aggregation of nanocrystals into well-defined clusters.

Long lifetime, excellent chromatic stability, and easily obtainable white light are becoming three outstanding challenges faced by the state-of-the-art high-power white LEDs. This study explored a novel single-component white-light-emitting phosphor-in-glass (PiG) for the first time. It has a quantum efficiency of 26.2% and exhibits excellent heat-resistance and good humidity-resistance characteristics which are rarely reported in traditional phosphor slurry. A proof-of-concept warm white LEDs was fabricated by combining PiG with near-ultraviolet chip-on-board (n-UV COB). This method reported in this letter will open a new and simple approach to obtain excellent performance single-component luminescent convertor for advanced high-power white LEDs.

A TiO2 film has been facilely grown on a Ti foil via a general and simple acid vapor oxidation (AVO) strategy. Based on detailed characterization by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we found that the TiO2 film was composed of anatase nanoarrays highly oriented along their <001> direction, resulting in a large exposed {001} top surface on the film. The growth mechanism based on a topotactic transformation was proposed according to a careful study of time-dependent experimental results. Resulting from the evaluation of photocatalytic performance compared with a commercial TiO2 photocatalyst (Degussa P25), the as-prepared oriented anatase TiO2 film showed higher efficiency for degradation of atrazine and acid orange II (AOII). The performance of photocatalysis is highly relevant to the preferential orientation. The efficient photocatalysis could be attributed to the highly reactive {001} facets on the anatase nanoarrays with super-hydrophilicity.

The design of luminescent materials with widely and continuously tunable excitation and emission is still a challenge in the field of advanced optical applications. In this paper, we reported a Eu(2+)-doped SiO2-Li2O-SrO-Al2O3-K2O-P2O5 (abbreviated as SLSAKP:Eu(2+)) silicate luminescent glass. Interestingly, it can give an intense tunable emission from cyan (474 nm) to yellowish-green (538 nm) simply by changing excitation wavelength and adjusting the concentration of Eu(2+) ions. The absorption spectra, photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and emission (PL) spectra, and decay curves reveal that there are rich and distinguishable local cation sites in SLSAKP glasses and that Eu(2+) ions show preferable site distribution at different concentrations, which offer the possibility to engineer the local site environment available for Eu(2+) ions. Luminescent glasses based color and white LED devices were successfully fabricated by combining the as-synthesized glass and a 385 nm n-UV LED or 450 nm blue LED chip, which demonstrates the potential application of the site engineering of luminescent glasses in advanced solid-state lighting in the future.